Railroad-tie.



C. E. FRY.

RAILROAD TIE.

l APPLICATION FILED APR.1S. 1912.

l O70 443, Patented Aug. 19, 1913. 2 SHEBTB-SEBBT 1.

f N su @htm-MW C. E. FRY.

RAILROAD TIE.

APPLICATION FILED Amma, 1912.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lof/Q Z 11 WASHING COLUMBIA llO Ars orme.

CHARLES E. FRY, OF TIOSA, INDIANA.

RAILROAD-TIE.

Application iled April 18, 1912.

To all 10h-0m, i may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. FRY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Tiosa, in the county of Fulton and State ot Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Ties, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to railway ties.

The tie embodying the present invention is designed as a substitute forthe ordinary wooden tie and the primary aim of the invention is to soconstruct the tie that, although of metal, it will possess substantiallythe same elasticity as the wooden tie. Metallic ties such as have beenpreviously devised, present the disadvantage that rails are rigidly heldwith the result that considerable noise attends the passage ot' a trainover the rails, and the rails cannot give to the slight degree which ispermitted when they are supported by wooden ties, and which is necessaryfor easy and even running.

The present invention .contemplates the provision of the tie which willso support the rails that they may have slight lateral movement withrespect to each other, this movement being cushioned so that an elasticrailway is 1irovided.

Another aim ot the invention is to provide a tie so constructed that,while the rails supported thereby may have relative lateral movement,they will be firmly and securely held against upward or downwardmovement or yield.

The invention aims still further to so construct the tie that thetension of the cushioning means lor yieldably holding the rails againstrelative lateral movement may be adjusted without disturbing the tie.

lVith these and other objects in view, the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more`fully described and iinally pointed out in the appended claims, itbeing further understood that changes in the specitic structure shownand described may be made within the scope of the claims withoutdeparting from the spirit ot the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication and inwhich like numerals ot reference indicate similar parts in the severalviews: Figure l, is a view in elevation of the rail tie embodying thepresent invention. Fig. Q, is a top plan view Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

Serial No. 691,626.

thereof. Fig. 3, is a vertical longitudinal sectional view o-n the line3, 3, of Fig. Q. F 4i, is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4;,'-l, of Fig. l. Fig. 5, is an end elevation oi the rail tie. Fig. 6, isa vertical sectional view on the line 6, G, of Fig. l. Fig. 7, is a viewin side elevation of one of the rail clamps of the tie. Fig. 8, is afront elevation of the clamp.

In the drawings, the tie is illustrated as comprising a base plate l,and a cap plate 2, which latter is supported above the base plate bymeans of side plates 3, formed at their upper and lower edges withiianges 4, which are secured by means of rivets 5, to the upper andunder sides of the base and cap plates respectively. These plates whenproperly assembled form a hollow rectangular body which is open at bothends as will be apparent from an inspection of the drawings. The railssupported by the tie are indicated by .the numeral 6. The tie furtherincludes, in its structure, rail clamping devices each of which consistsof a pair of plates 7, having their upper ends bent laterally inopposite directions as at 8, and thence upwardly toward each other as at9. The plates 7, are 'formed with registering openings 10, and l1, and abolt l2, is secured through the openings 1l, and has threaded thereon anut 13, and a jam nut let, for the purpose of securing the platestogether in position to clamp the rails to which they are applied. Theopenings 10, are provided for a purpose to be presently explained. Itwill be observed from an inspection ot Figs. 5, 6, and 7, of thedrawings that the portions S and 9, or' the plates 7, are of less widththan the body portions ot' the said plates at their upper ends so thatshoulders 15, are 'formed at each side ot ,the said portions 8, of theplates. The cap plate 9., of the tie is formed at each end with a slot1G, and in assembling the rail clamps, just described, with the tie,they are inserted at the ends thereof with the portions 8 and 9, of theclamp plates projecting through the respective slots in the cap plate.By referring to Fig. 3, of the drawings it will be observed that therails supported by the tie have their base flanges resting directly uponthe upper surface of t-he cap plate and that the portions 8, of thevclamp plates extend beneath the said base flanges of the rails and theportions 9, thereof eX- tend over the said flanges. It will also beobserved from the drawings and particularly by referring to Figs. 5 and6, thereof that the shoulders 15, bear against the underside ot the capplate 2, thereby preventing upward movement of the rails. Downwardmovement of the rails is of course prevented by the engagement of thebases ot' the rails with the upper tace of the cap plate. At this pointit is to be noted that the rail clamping devices may have sliding movement in the slots 16, and consequently the rails themselves may haverelative lateral movement, In order to limit the outward lateralmovement of the rails and their clamping members, a plate 17, is securedby means of bolts 18, at its ends, to the cap plate 2, at each, endthereof, and each of these plates 17, is formed with an upstandingabutment flange 19, against which the portion 8, of the outer one of therespective clamping plates 7, may strike when the rail is forcedlaterally. It will be observed from the drawings that these plates 1'7,extend across and close the outer ends of the slots 16, in the capplate.

Means is provided for holding the rails and their clamping membersagainst spreading, which will now be described.

A rod 20, threaded at its outer end as at 21, is engaged, at its saidend through the registering openings 10, of the clamp plates 7. A nut22, is threaded upon each of the rods and bears against the outer one ofthe respective clamp plates, and nuts 23, and 24:, are also threadedupon the rod, the rst mentioned one bearing against the inner one of theclamp plates and the latter serving as a jam nut. It will be understoodof course that these nuts are adjustable upon their respective rods,and, that for this reason, the rail clamping devices may be adjustedlongitudinally of the tie. A bracket comprising a flat sided body 25,and a base 26, has its said base secured by means of rivets 27, to theupper side of the bottom or base plate 1, at a point midway between theends of the said plate, and the body of this bracket is formed withspaced openings 28. The rods 20, extend inwardly toward each other fromthe clamp plates 7, and near their inner ends are oliset in oppositedirections as at v29, and have their said offset ends fitted through theopenings 2S, in the said body of the bracket. These ends of the rods arethreaded as at 30, and each has a nut 31, threaded thereon and bearingagainst that side of the bracket which is presented toward the oiiset ofthe respective rod. A nut 32, is also threaded upon each of the rods andis located at the opposite side of the bracket from the first mentionednut, and springs33, are arranged one upon each of the rods between therespective nuts 32, and the adjacent side of the bracket. At this pointit will be observed that the nuts 31 and 32, are adjustable upon theirrespective rods and that the rods may have outward longitudinal movementagainst the tension of the springs 33. As a consequence the railclamping` members and the rails held thereby may have similar movement.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be understoodthat the springs 33, act to draw the rails together and that thismovement is limited by the engagement of the nuts 32, against thebracket 25. It will also be noted that these nuts may be adjust-ed so asto properly, normally position the rails and that the nuts 32, may beadjusted so as to vary the tension ot' the respective springs 33. Y

A tie constructed as shown inthe drawings and herein described willsupport the rails in such manner that they may have slight relativespread, sutlicient to afford a flexible railway, and yet not suiiicientto at any time result in deraihnent. As a result, although metallic tiesare employed, the railway is even superior to the ordinary railway inwhich the rails are supported upon wooden ties, for the reason thattheties of the present invention are more substantial and at the sametime present the same dey grec of elasticity as do the ordinary woodenties.

ln order that ready access may be had to the nuts 31, and 32, to permitof their adjustment, the cap plate of the tie is preferably ormed in twosections and a plate 34, is disposed between the sections and secured inplace by means of bolts 35.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. In a railway tie, a body, rail clamping members supported thereby forrelative lateral movement, a bracket arranged between the said clampingmembers, rods connected to the clamping members and slidably ttedthrough the bracket, and means yieldably resisting the sliding movementof the rods through the bracket to permit of relative movement of theclamping members.

2. In a railway tie, a body, rail clamping members supported thereby forrelative lateral movement, a bracket arranged between said clampingmembers, rods connected to the clamping members and slidably fittedthrough the bracket, means yieldably resisting the sliding movement ofthe rods through the bracket to permit of relative movement of the saidclamping members, and means positively limiting the movement of theclamping members.

3. In a railway tie, a hollow body having its upper wall formed at eachend with a. slot, a rail clamping member slidably fitted in each of theslots, a bracket arranged between the ends of the said body, rodssecured Y fitted t-hrough the bracket, and means upon the rods yieldablyresisting the sliding movement of the rods therethrough.

In a railway tie, a hollow body having its upper wall formed at each endwith a slot, a rail clamping member slidably fitted in each of theslots, a bracket arranged between the ends of said body. rods secured tosaid clamping members and slidably fitted through the bracket, andsprings upon the said rods yieldably resisting the sliding movement ofthe rods therethrough.

5. In a railway tie, a hollow body having its upper wall formed at eachend with a slot, a rail clamping member slidably fit-ted in each of theslots, a bracket arranged between the ends of the body, rods securedadjustably through the said clamping members and slidably fitted throughthe bracket, means upon the rods yieldably resisting the movement of therods through the bracket,

and means for adjusting the tension of the resisting means.

6. In a railway tie, a hollow body having its upper wall formed at eachend with a slot, a rail clamping member fitted in each of the slots, abracket arranged between the ends of the body, rods secured adjustablythrough the said clamping members and slidably fitted through thebracket, means upo-n the rods yieldably resisting the movement of therods through the bracket, and means positively limiting the relativemovement of the rail supporting members away from each other.

In testimony whereof I aIiiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. FRY.

Witnesses CHARLIE C. Mow, FRANK M. GoNsroRT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

